The Performance Analysis of a Three-Phase Grid-Tied Photovoltaic System in a Tropical Area

Abstract

This paper describes the performance of a three-phase grid-tied 30.05kWp photovoltaic (PV) system on the rooftop of a high rise building in Singapore. The PV system consists of an array of 15.05kWp Mono-crystalline panels and another of 15kWp Poly-crystalline panels. They are arranged in 6 strings and are set up on the same roof top. This paper looks into the performance ratio and the capacity utilization factor CUF) over a 4 month period from March 2010 to June 2010. The PV system has achieved a high performance ratio of 81.8%. The remaining 18.2% of the incident solar energy in the analysis period that is not converted into usable energy can be attributed to factors such as pre-photovoltaic losses, module and thermal losses along the balance of system (BOS) and system losses. The CUF is calculated to be 15.32%. This paper discusses the PV system installation and the considerations taken during the design and installation phase such that a high performance ratio is achieved.